French Green Beans
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These French green beans cooked with shallots are simple enough for weeknights but special enough for holiday dinners.
These French green beans are simple yet elegant, perfect for a quick weeknight side or an impressive holiday dish. The recipe requires just one pan: simply cook the shallots in butter in a large skillet, then add the beans with a splash of water and simmer until tender. You’ll be surprised at how much flavor the shallots bring to the beans. Note that the recipe uses French green beans, or haricot verts—thinner, sweeter, and more tender than American varieties, these beans are typically available pre-trimmed and ready to cook.
What You’ll Need To Make French Green Beans
- Extra virgin olive oil or unsalted butter – Adds richness and depth of flavor to sauté the shallots and coat the green beans. Use whichever you prefer.
- Shallots – Thinly sliced and cooked until soft, they add a delicate sweetness and mild onion flavor that complements the beans.
- Water – Added to steam the beans, ensuring they cook evenly and become tender.
- French string beans (haricots verts) – Haricot means “beans” and vert means “green.” These slender green beans cook quickly and absorb the flavors of the shallots and seasonings.
- Salt, freshly ground black pepper & sugar – These seasonings enhance the flavors, add warmth, and bring out the natural sweetness of the beans and shallots.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by thinly slicing the shallots into rings and cooking them slowly in olive oil until soft, sweet and mellow.
Next, add the beans, salt, pepper and water.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer, covered, for about 8 minutes.
Remove the cover and continue cooking until the pan is completely dry, the shallots are jammy, and the beans are tender, about 6 minutes.
Season to taste with salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar.
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French String Beans with Shallots
These French green beans cooked with shallots are simple enough for weeknights but special enough for holiday dinners.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or unsalted butter
- 2 large shallots, thinly sliced
- ½ cup water
- ¾ pound (12 ounces) French string beans (haricots verts), trimmed
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Pinch sugar
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 8 minutes. Do not brown.
- Add the beans, salt, pepper and water; bring to a boil. Cover the skillet, reduce the heat to low, and cook for 8 minutes.
- Remove the lid and increase the heat to high. Cook, stirring frequently, until the liquid is evaporated, the beans are tender, and the shallots are jammy, about 6 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt, pepper, and a pinch of sugar. Serve warm.
Nutrition Information
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- Calories: 116
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 13 g
- Sugar: 6 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 3 g
- Sodium: 302 mg
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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These green beans are so good and easy to prepare. An excellent side dish, and they taste even better the next day!
Hi Jenn – Are any of the online recipes in your cookbook? If so – is there any way you could identify those that are? I’m always grabbing the cookbook to check, although I haven’t found any that are yet. Thanks
Hi Debbie, 30 recipes are favorites from the site. I actually have a “stamp” in the bottom left corner of the main picture for any blog recipe that is also in the cookbook. See the Peruvian Chicken as an example. Hope that helps!
First off- LOVE love love your cookbook Jen, and your wonderful blog! Foolproof and delicious recipes. I have gifted your book to family, and recommend your site to anyone who compliments me on a dish that I prepare, which is typically one of your recipes.
Tonight I needed a side dish and had some fresh green beans in my fridge. When I thought of steaming them and realized how bland that would be, I immediately came here and sure enough, an easy foolproof recipe was at my fingertips! These were easy to prepare and elevated my humble green beans to a delicious new level!
So glad you enjoyed these! And thanks for spreading the word about the blog and for your support with the cookbook. 💓
Hi Jenn-
Has this recipe been revised? Do you find the addition sugar necessary with the shorter cooking time? Is the same texture found with this cooking method vs open pan, double water method? I only ask because we try not to eat added sugar, given that the shallots and cooking of vegetables generally increases their intrinsic sugar levels.
Thanks much,
A.M.
Hi A.M., Yes this sugar has been revised slightly (If you’d like the old version, let me know — I’d be happy to email it to you). And feel free to omit the sugar if you’d like. They’ll still be delicious!
Just discovered your recipes while searching for ricotta cheesecake. One recipe led to another, to another. Will go to Trader Joe’s to find haricot verts and excited to try this recipe. I love the white bowl. Can you provide info on the serving bowl until I can get out to shop? Thanks so much for all the wonderful recipes. Stay well, we will be fine.
Hi Patricia, Glad you happened upon the blog! I don’t know the exact model of that serving dish, but it came from Sur la Table. Hope that helps and that you enjoy the green beans when you’re able to make them! 🙂
Waste not……..
Just discovered a package of “not as green as when ‘I must buy these’ ” French beans in my vegetable draw and wondered whether to throw out or use. Thought I would check OUAC and found this recipe. It was very quick and very simple so decided to use the beans. Only had one shallot so added a white onion. The final color was not so vibrant but the taste was delicious. So glad I didn’t waste my beans. Thanks, Ms Segal for another wonderful recipe. This time just for one….ME😋
PS The vidéo playing as I follow this recipe reminds me that I have your book but have never made anything from it; always turn to my iPad. Guess old habits die hard, but won’t “waste” the book so wondering if there’s anything for (free range) chicken livers.
So glad you enjoyed the green beans (and thanks for your support with the cookbook)! No, unfortunately, I don’t have a recipe for chicken livers to share. If I come across anything that looks worthwhile, I will send it your way. 🙂
While I did try the beans first (and they were great!) I whisked in some unsalted butter at the end, because, butter. Rave reviews. Served topped with pan-fried salmon filet and jasmine rice on the side. This recipe is definitely a keeper. Happy I bought two packages of green beans as there were no leftovers 🙂
This is a very delicious recipe. I added a bit more salt, but I use Diamond Crystal, so that’s probably why. Plus, I am a salt addict.
Thanks for sharing! Probably would be delicious too with a little dash of some acid 🙂
Erika from Maryland 🙂
I made these for a big dinner party at my house and I doubled the recipe. The Q&A was really helpful as I cooked the beans first in salted water and quick chilled then in ice water, sauteed the shallots in butter and oil (yes, both), and then added the beans for a short while 3-4 min so that they were partially warmed in the shallots but I didn’t want them to resume cooking. I transferred them all to a covered casserole dish and rewarmed them in a 200 degree oven prior to serving. They were delicious and I got to enjoy conversations with my guests.
I doubled the recipe and it seemed like too much water as the beans were done before all the water was evaporated. Should I have kept the water the same?
Hi Ann, This is one of those recipes that doesn’t well because of the cooking technique. To make a larger quantity, I would blanch all the beans in boiling salted water and then shock in ice water to stop the cooking process. Once cool, drain the beans. Heat the oil/butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat and cook the shallots until soft. Then add the drained beans and seasoning to the pan and cook a few minutes more. Hope that helps!
My previous haricot vert recipe included cooking them in vast quantities of heavily salted water. I like this recipe better because the technique requires much less water, no cold water shocking, but the flavor remains delicious. It is my new favorite way to cook French green beans.